Sweet Promise
by Meibou
Summary: Uchiha Itachi has finally been caught by ANBU. As he waits for judgement a probable sentence to execution he recieves a midnight visitor. Rated T for precaution. ItachixHinata.
1. Chapter 1

**This is a fanfiction of Naruto, the anime series.**

**Summary: Uchiha Itachi has finally been caught by ANBU. As he waits for judgment, a probable sentence to execution, he receives a midnight visitor.**

**Itachi x Hinata And rated T just for precaution.**

**Sweet Promise**

He sighed, idly lounging in the cell. He leaned against the stone wall, brushing his long bangs out of his eyes. He was receiving the best guard from Konoha. Around his underground holding place, wards placed to inhibit his chakra use, three or more squads of ANBU watched and waited. The Godaime was overseeing this personally. He knew the hidden village didn't want to take risks of him escaping again.

The whole lot of them… pathetic…

Why did he come anyways?

_…because… of her…_

A figure moved towards his cell. ANBU of course stopped the arrival, but a furious bout of whispering ensued.

"The Godaime has allowed me to see him." That voice… it bent and wound around his senses. Sweet, tantalizing, mellow… he recognized it. It had a calming, slightly sedative effect on him as he sat there listening.

"The Godaime-sama ordered us to not allow anyone near the traitor-" retorted one of the masked ninja snappishly.

"Tsunade-sama has given me special permission," the newcomer whispered back. The soft and feminine voice was somewhat hurried. "Please, I must see him."

When the bickering subsided after several more minutes, the visitor was disarmed. She approached. Kneeling near the bars of the cell, she gazed at him. Luminescent eyes peering through, her pale hands gripped the bar, perhaps in reassurance to herself.

"Itachi-san?"

He didn't say anything- just looked up to acknowledge her. She smiled at him. She had kept that bobbed, childish haircut. He wasn't disappointed, as he couldn't imagine her without it. Her skin was white as ever, but a light splash of pink covered her cheeks. Itachi could tell that she was still at least a foot shorter than him.

"I can't see you Itachi-san."

That's right, the shadows hid him. He rose slowly, dramatically, taking several steps to bridge the gap between them. Now he was an arm's length away from the bars separating them.

"It's been a while, Hinata."

She smiled softly as part of her response. "It has." She remained kneeling on the dark prison floor. The silence filled the air between them. Its lingering presence did not discomfort them. Rather, it allowed them to silently reacquaintance themselves. To refamiliarize with each other's appearance.

"You've grown," he said abruptly. He didn't just mean her more noticeable feminine curves, or her changed height. But she knew. She always understood what he meant. Somehow- her empathy was incredible.

"Yes." Her eyes flickered over his form once more. He was just as tired, as weary, when she had encountered him last. Those lines beneath his eyes that gave him a more distinguished look, his lithe and tall form… and of course those cold, encompassing eyes. "You're the same though."

He gave a little smirk, ignoring her question. "I would have enjoyed a spar with you."

She had a small grin on. "The results would have been the same as always, though. You are a natural genius."

"Mm." He took a step forward, kneeled as well, lowering himself, but still above her at the same time. He reached out, a steady hand touching her cheek. Her lips quivered slightly, and a small blush emerged, but her eyes were still trained on him. He stroked the side of her face, lightly inhaling her scent as he basked in the peaceful aura she gave off.

She was everything he was not.

"Itachi…" she murmured, half to herself, half to him in question. Perhaps just for the sake of saying his name. Her eyes were half closed, pulled down by the gentle lull he created- the calm before the storm. He didn't answer, and his continuation of his actions was an unspoken allowance for her to continue with what she was saying.

"Do you remember…" she bit at her lower lip. "That… um… six years ago…" she paused again, trying to find the right words. "Your promise…" She glanced down at the floor, suddenly becoming shy of his touch.

He caught her gaze again by tipping her head up with his hand. He leaned closer, as close as the bars would allow, drawing her closer to him but pulling her forward. His hot breath whispered in her ear, tickling her slightly.

"I intend to keep it."

She blushed hotly as she felt something warm and wet touch her. Itachi smirked. He wanted more than a mere sample of her sweetness. But he had to wait.

"Are you ready to abandon this world of yours?" he murmured. Threading his fingers through her hair, he closed his eyes lazily. He touched her nose with his own, gently breathing on her soft lips. His breath and touch warmed her; strange how he was still cold at the same time.

"I-Itachi…" she stammered slightly, nearly smacking herself as she only managed to blurt out his name, and nothing else. His smirk grew as he noticed her old habit starting up again. Yet her stutter was cute all the same.

"Good," he hissed possessively. "I will make you mine." He nibbled at her bottom lip, eliciting a small gasp. Swiping her mouth with his tongue, Itachi coaxed a response from her, swallowing her small moan. _Sweet…_

She murmured his name again, clutching at the clothes covering his chest. "Itachi…" Her breathing was slightly ragged as they pulled away.

"You won't wait long," he responded. She felt the cool metal of his scratched forehead-protector touch her temple. His hot breath felt like steam on her face as he spoke. "I promise…"

"…We _will_ be together." His onyx gaze caught her pale, lavender eyes. She made a small sound in understanding. He straightened, untangling his hand from her hair. "Now go." He retreated back to the corner of the cell, watching her in the shadows, waiting for her to follow his order.

She sat there in shock for a moment. But realizing he was expecting her to do as told, she rose. She walked away briskly, glad that the darkness of the underground passages hid her current flushed state, up to a certain point at least.

_…We will be together…_

Yet how could he keep his promise if he was to be executed the next day?

---

**Ah, damn it, I don't like this. Wierdish plot and it's short, compared to my other shit that I write. Though this is my first Naruto story. Just needed to write this to get it out of my head. **

**Yeah, Itachi x Hinata pairing is cool. I like it. Why'd you read this if you didn't? (Argh, it's two in the morning while I'm finishing this, so I'm grumpy)**

**Maybe I can concentrate on finishing my other stories (which I've practically abandoned) after this.**

**So, maybe another chapter, because I know you all want to see Itachi be executed. So come back to read.**

**Oh yeah, while you're at it, review.**

**Meibou**


	2. Chapter 2

**Holy mother---ing shit. Thank you guys so much- I mean 13 reviews, that's pretty…… wow. Again, it's two in the morning. I have no good adjectives or coherent thoughts in my brain right now. Though perhaps it's better for the story's sake, so I don't screw it up more than it is already.**

**Sweet Promise**

Hinata completely avoided the village today. Although the execution was not public, the news of it would be released. She did not want to hear it, or of it, and so avoided human contact as much as possible.

Her mind was relaxingly blank as she trained. Strange, but the lack of thought was calming and undeniably needed. Her thoughts had been jumbled with the reappearance, capture, and… execution of Uchiha Itachi.

_Uchiha Itachi_

Frowning lightly as he began to invade her thoughts, she began to hit the tree at a faster, more spirited rhythm. Hints of blue were the evident signs of chakra being released, but eventually dissipated.

The training's alternate purpose came to naught. The muscle memory had instead let her mind wander. This was so familiar, in instance. She could not remove him from her eyes; she could practically see him watching her on the sidelines, eyeing her for weaknesses and faults.

_Uchiha Itachi_

She blushed. She had made many memories with him. He had become someone important to her, a part of her life. Perhaps he had made her life a two-sided existence, but he was still there.

Always there.

_"We will be together…"_

_"…And you will be real."_

---

_"Jyuuken!" She attacked Shino, only to find that it was a clone, made from his Kikai bugs._

_"All right, that's enough for today." Kurenai rose, stretching. Shino called his bugs back to him as Kiba and Akamaru bounded over to the group. "It was a good fight." Shino didn't reply; Hinata nodded. They both knew that he had gone easy on her._

_Because she was weak._

_"I have a mission tomorrow, so you three can practice as you see fit," their sensei continued. "Group training isn't necessary, only if you want to. Ja." She grinned before disappearing. _

_The three began to walk back leisurely to the village. The sun was starting to edge closer to the horizon, but it was still bright out. They stopped by the Hyuuga compound to drop Hinata off. Their houses were further on._

_"Will you train with us tomorrow, Hinata?"_

_Hinata smiled softly. "A-Ano… I think I'll train by myself, Kiba-kun, Shino-kun. Gomen." Kiba replied that it was no problem, Akamaru voicing support of his master's words with several short barks. Shino merely nodded, turning and continuing down the path. She waved as they walked on._

_She did not approach the cluster of houses. Instead, she strayed to the edge of the entire property, unable to see the complex of buildings. Her chakra had not depleted completely. Some more training would do her good._

_She had to become worthy of the Hyuuga name- to be the Heiress._

_Finding a tree to strike, of course using the gentle fist style, she continued at it for a while. An hour had passed, perhaps? Her surrounding environment was hued red, the cause being the setting sun. Dusk was a usual sign for her to desist, but today was a little different._

_The feeling was stronger, today for some reason. She felt like a machine- a tool. What was this life of hers? To be set aside and used for display- to keep up public figure for the sake of the name Hyuuga. She felt her life was utterly bland and miserable. A recurring scene, a repeating illusion._

_All amounting to nothing. Gathering dust._

_Mundane._

_Dinner would be served soon. She would take a long shower before joining her family for the evening meal. She only took a few steps before feeling something. She bowed her head a little, hiding her eyes as she used them to search her surroundings. The chakra system of her silent spy was caught by her gaze, positioned at seven o'clock._

_After several more seconds, she made the first strike, throwing her kunai at the intruder. She only heard the sold 'thunk' as it was embedded in the tree trunk. She slid into the taijutsu stance again, ready for an attack._

_But she was quickly bowled over as the other rammed into her, taking advantage of superior height. She slid against another tree, pinned to it seconds later, by a hand gripping her throat. She struggled, clawing at his hand while trying to gasp for breath._

_Red eyes. That was the first thing that frightened her, even more than she already was, as she gazed back at them dazedly. Black bangs shaded those orbs considerably, but they could not hide that coldness, could not dilute her terror. She vaguely noticed the black cloak with red cloud patterns on it- Akatsuki garb. So this must be…_

_Uchiha Itachi._

_The cold-blooded murderer, maker of the Uchiha Massacre._

_She wormed around some more; she thrashed desperately, gagging, making strange garbled choking noises as his hand tightened considerably. Her nails failed to harm him as they scrabbled over his forearm, not enough to release his iron grip. He suddenly dropped her. She leaned against the base of the tree, curling up and gently rubbing her throat in attempt to soothe its pain._

_"Hyuuga Hinata." She looked up as he took a step closer, bending down so that his face was more level with hers. Red eyes- she had never seen a Sharingan this closely, or seen one at all. "Tell me- why did I spare you?"_

_Talking became hard, partly because of her bruised throat, partly because of the closeness of the other. She only managed to make a weak croak before coughing lightly, and trying again. "H-How…"_

_A hand reached out to stroke her cheek. "Tell me," he hissed. His actions, his demeanor- they were so sickly enticing. Venomous, cruel and harsh, but at the same time they were seductive and attractive._

_"I…" she paused, racking her brains for the answer. Why indeed? He was a killer, a shinobi who certainly had the means to destroy her. So why spare her, a weak and-_

_"B-Because… I am weak…" she mumbled. She hugged her knees closer to her chest. "Like I always am…"_

_"Yes. You are not worth killing."_

_She started to cry. She felt even more pathetic as she did so- another sign of weakness, of default. She was defected. She didn't matter enough to die, death being the ultimate way out of this mess. She wasn't worth enough to matter, to exist. "This… this can't be real," she chanted to herself as she clutched her temple. "…I can't be real."_

_"On the contrary my dear, it's very real. Your weakness is real." His breath burned and froze at the same time. He tugged, almost affectionately had the circumstances been completely different, at her hair. He smirked. "And it's pathetic."_

This isn't real. It's a dream. I'll wake up and it will be morning, and I'll probably be late to practice with Kiba-kun, Shino-kun, and Kurenai-sensei. This is just some form of a fabrication…_ she thought to herself. _It's only an illusion…

_He firmly grasped her hands, moving them so that they wouldn't distress her hair further. A hand reached in to stroke her cheek again, then slid to hold the back of her head so as to force her to look up. "This is real Hinata-chan." He leaned closer. "What you are at this moment is real."_

_"I-I…" I am nothing…_

_His red eyes gleamed, reading her thoughts. "I will make you into something. I will break your illusion. And you will be real." He kissed her- it was rough, not at all comforting, like a part of his words had been. Just once- and then he broke away. She watched him through her half-lidded gaze, breathing erratic._

_"…Promise…" she mumbled, mostly to herself. But he heard her, and he smirked. Brushing his bangs back for a brief moment, he looked down upon her once more before disappearing into the night._

_"See for yourself."_

---

So why was her body, her mind, reacting like this to his arrival? If he was as important as she knew he was, why wasn't she doing anything? She had remembered feeling numb when she heard from the Hokage herself about the S Class Criminal. Blank thoughts of nothing had flooded her brain. Shock was a main factor, but still…

_What was wrong with her?_ She growled in frustration as she finished her early training session with a flurry of blows. This numbness… this void… it irritated her to no end.

_Uchiha Itachi_

He was everything that he himself was not, but what he was at the same time. The opposite of everything he was, but still the embodiment of perfection. The one person that absolutely confused her, but liberated her at the same time.

---

**Hunh. Again, I have no idea where this story is going. And for those who don't want Itachi executed… me being one of them (because Itachi is a smexy man)… you'll have to wait to find out, though the outcome might be slightly obvious.**

**I think I gave you guys the promise without screaming it…… hopefully… **

**Yeah, so, reviews. I actually want them, now that I've gotten some. Though I do want to finish this before I go off to volleyball camp. So review.**

**Meibou**


	3. Chapter 3

**Uh, yeah. Like _looSUrxinxDiego_ said, they are OOC most times. And they probably still will be. And about their age… hm, I guess Hinata is twenty, and that would make Itachi around… crap, I think Itachi is around six years older than Sasuke, so that would make Itachi twenty-six (great reasoning, yes?). Whatever, Itachi's older than her, let's leave it at that.**

**But when Hinata's remembering stuff, it's usually Genin years, after Sasuke has left for Orochimaru, but before whatever comes next (because I'm not there yet, shut up).**

**And another note, this is still the same day Itachi's supposed to be executed. Because this entire chapter is a memoir. Because practically everything is in italics, and italics mean the past. The whole cool deal.**

**Sweet Promise**

He had become a dark side. Her dark side, and her secret. Hers alone. She knew that she was real, and that he was real, because of what he gave her. A promise. A promise that he would change and have a certain form of control over her. But she wasn't as concerned as she should be, regarding what he was going to make her. She just reveled in the fact that he was there.

Hinata had met him again. She had been nervous at first. Who would not be afraid of their could-have-been killer? Certainly not her. Same place, same time: the farther edges of the Hyuuga compound, starting at sunset and ending at nightfall.

At first, he had only watched her in the trees, a nagging presence in her mind. But then he had stopped shadowing himself, stepped out, and corrected her foot positioning, or some other trait that needed to be perfected. From that, to some new jutsus and katas. And from that to small spars, which always ended in her defeat.

_"Itachi…" She panted, arms shaking slightly as her chest heaved. Her breathing was harsh and rasping, filling the area. They had been sparring for an hour, and she was dead tired- but of course Itachi wasn't even ruffled. "May we… take a small break…?" _

_A kick was her response, sending her flying into the air. Hinata crashed to the ground, wincing in pain as her side throbbed when she tried to get back up. She doubted there was anything broken though, just a massive bruise that would quickly develop. Sharingan eyes watched her struggle._

_"Itachi-san," she mumbled. "I'm sorry-"_

_"Feel sorry for yourself," he interrupted. "You have grown too comfortable. So watch it." Chilly red eyes warned her of the situation further, glaring down. "Distance yourself from me."_

_She bowed her head, submitting. "I'm sorry."_

_Itachi glared again before brushing his bangs away from his eyes. He disappeared. She couldn't sense him, or see his chakra system within her range. Though it wasn't as if she couldn't not expect his sudden departure. She deactivated her Byakugan._

You have grown too comfortable.

---

_The next day she had woken up miserably sore. She could not bend to the left without her right side exploding in pain. She tried to ignore it during practice with her teammates- to prevent inquiries of her friends. It had only worked halfway._

_"Hinata, you're slower today. Anything wrong? Are you hurt?" Kurenai's red eyes glanced at the small nick that Hinata had gotten from a flying kunai. "You can usually dodge projectiles easily."_

_"I…I'm a little sore from training, sensei," she admitted slowly. It was the truth. "And I didn't get much sleep last night." Also true- she had been thinking about Itachi late into the night. "It's a little painful to move sometimes."_

_"All right. Try to loosen those muscles, it'll feel better."_

_"Okay."_

_"That's it for today then. Boys!" Kiba and Shino looked up from their intense spar, pausing their attacks. "Enough! You'll have plenty of other days to fight. See you all tomorrow." She disappeared in a puff of smoke._

_"Sheesh, we were just about to kick his ass!" Kiba pouted, but quickly got over it. "Hey, Hinata, Shino, want to go get something to eat?"_

_"No, thank you." Hinata smiled at the other's pout. "I have to go home. Sorry Kiba, Shino."_

_"Hn." Shino started to walk off, giving a brief 'Ja' to Hinata, not bothering to give one Kiba. The bug user knew that the other boy would follow him and try to pester him into joining him, which worked on rare occurrences. Kiba and Akamaru loped off with a wave, a shouted 'bye', and several loud barks. Both followed Shino, as predicted. She watched them go with an amused smile. Hinata started to walk down the path heading to her house._

---

_Another test of her strength. She was quickly tiring of them._

_Her Byakugan had helped her sense and deflect a kunai with one of her own. Leaping to her left, as three more whizzed past the spot where she had been, she slid back to her Jyuuken stance. Next came a whole barrage of sharp projectiles, from all directions. Some were illusions, she could tell, but most were real._

_"Shugohakke Rokujyuu Yonshou!"_

_Immediately after she had finished with all the flying kunai and shuriken, she was bowled over. A small cut at the base of the side her neck efficiently warned her; she could have just lost her life. She winced as she was kicked and sent back several feet. She barely had time to get up before she was attacked again._

_Itachi was moving too fast for her. She could still track him- but being able to counter him was an entirely different story. She gritted her teeth, enduring a barrage of punches. She threw her hand forward, aiming for his left leg. She barely brushed it before he drew away- but it would still hurt a little later on._

_She breathed heavily, wiping a little bit of blood off the corner of her mouth. The pain in her side was killing her as she slouched slightly, trying to support herself with her arm. "Itachi-san… nande? Why are you doing this?"_

_He stayed silent for a little, maybe thinking of his reason, or just contemplating whether to answer or not. "You have grown too comfortable," he repeated tonelessly. His voice was blank but at the same time menacing._

_She shivered under his gaze, eyes lowering slightly as she shifted nervously. "Itachi-san… please…" As soon as he disappeared, she readied herself for an attack. He appeared behind her, throwing a punch at her spine. She moved, but fell forward when he yanked her legs out from under her. She managed to stick her hands out, to protect her face- mainly her eyes._

_He watched her struggle up. "I could have killed you five times now. Did my lessons teach you nothing?" He sneered when she staggered up again. "You're still weak. Not strong enough to be killed."_

_She didn't know what came over her. Perhaps it was anger, or some form of frustration. Retaliation, raw instinct, or whatnot, as he turned to leave, she ran up to him, thrusting her palm forward. Her left hand aimed for his heart, while her right followed through towards his abdomen. He slid past her attack. She turned as well, not following him but continuing her circular motion._

_"Hakkeshou Kaiten!" A small whirlwind of blue stopped him from another close attack, contacting him briefly before he leapt back. She jumped forward at him, thrusting her palms at him wildly as he easily evaded them. "Sixty Four Strikes!" She only managed to close around eight tenketsu before Itachi began to copy her movements to deflect the attacks._

_She broke off, to attempt another thrust at his heart, suddenly changing her course to the right shoulder. A blast of chakra, and she knew that she had momentarily numbed it, disabling the arm for several moments. Both fighters paused for a moment, taking in the situation further. They lowered their arms, but did not step away from each other. _

_"You said," Hinata murmured hesitantly, "that you would make me real." She closed her eyes, shuddering a little. Were her eyes tearing up? She couldn't afford to leak any. She couldn't show any more signs of weakness. _Otherwise… He might just revoke that promise…_ she thought to herself._

_"Yes. I did." His quiet admittance shocked her further, but she was already quite numb. "And so you must distance yourself from me."_

_"Itachi-san… but-"_

_"How can I keep to my word? How can you trust me?" Sharingan eyes could read as well as Byakugan. She nodded slowly. He smirked, slowly leaning forward to brush his lips against her ear._

_"See for yourself."_

_And he was gone._

---

**Crap. I'm making things so unclear.**

**Shugohakke Rokujyuu Yonshou is Hinata's absolute defense in one of the anime fillers.**

**I have to finish this story by the end of two weeks. I'm gonna try to work hardish on this story… yeah, I'm a lazy ass.**

**Review. Motivate me. All that stuff. (although I am really happy that I got 27 )**

**Meibou**


	4. Chapter 4

**What the crap. Planning to write this chapter before camp, but THEN I didn't write it before preseason, and I barely managed to do it before school started. So that idea died. Doesn't help that this was probably the hardest chapter to write. Because… it's the LAST. And I had trouble deciding what Itachi's reasoning actually was. God…**

**And I tried to edit the three earlier chapters… I don't think they're any clearer though.**

**This chapter is in the PRESENT. As in, the day that Itachi's execution is set, unlike the last chapter, and some of the second.**

**Sweet Promise**

"Hinata."

The simple statement of her name easily broke her from her reveries. She glanced to her left as Itachi emerged from the treeline. His cloak was slightly dirtied and bloodied, but it gave him that same mysterious, elegant, and dangerous air.

"You're distracted. You should have noticed me approaching you." He calmly walked forward, stopping when he was several feet away from her.

"I was thinking," Hinata replied. "Of… the important things that happened." She crinkled her forehead in a frown. "You didn't keep your promise Itachi… why… I… I've been waiting for years…"

He didn't reply, not even a body movement to display some form of a response. He glanced upwards at the sky, observing how the trees shook in the distance from the wind. "I should not have to explain it to you," he said slowly after several moments.

"I will make you into something. I will break your illusion. And you will be real," she stated, quoting his past promise. Her voice was a little throaty as she was tying to restrain her emotions, compiled of frustration and desperation. "You said to 'see for myself'. But how can I when I'm blind?" she whispered.

"You merely need to look through the illusion," he said, still evasive as ever. "Your Hyuuga eyes can do so naturally."

"Itachi, please!" She unconsciously took a step or two closer, just barely remembering to not grab his cloak like her body had instinctively told her to do. "Please, I need to know. I just need you to tell me!"

He stared at her for a moment. Sharingan met Byakugan again. Each pair took in familiar facial features, recognizing and comparing them to memories, to find them an almost perfect match. Red and White. Two different colors, but not opposites.

"What is a promise, Hinata? Tell me."

"…I… it's a guarantee, that something will be done," Hinata said. She was a little hesitant, wondering what he meant by asking his question.

"Wrong. It's an illusion. An illusion of assurance," Itachi replied coldly. Her eyes widened in surprise, shock, horror, and betrayal. He continued on without emotion, staring at her white eyes. "Mankind thrives on lies. They drink them in plenty, and they spit more back out. It is an endless cycle that will never be stopped."

"No… no, you're wrong! You promised! I- I'm real! You made me into who I am, and-"

"I did not make you into anything, you're you, but what surrounds you is fake," he spat out, a little angered by her denial. "It's all illusions- sweet and sticky lies. I only helped you realize that illusions cannot change you."

"Is that why you killed your clan, because they 'lied' to you!" she questioned wildly, a little hysterical. "You played with me to teach me a lesson on lies! You- you-"

"Hinata."

She stumbled back a step, sitting down on the ground, tears leaking out of her wide, now unblinking eyes. "Sweet… lie? Promise? I can't tell anymore. What I've based my life on is now torn apart. A-And I can't turn to anyone anymore."

"Turn to yourself." He stared down at her a little while before turning to look the opposite way. "You are strong, and you are real."

She couldn't see his face, but looked down anyways, her hands palm down on the ground. Salt water slowly dripped onto, and was absorbed by Konoha dirt. "Did… did you feel anything!" she asked, "While you were with me- anything at all! Please, tell me if you did!"

Her mouth closed tightly, attempting to calm herself before she spoke again. "Or… was it all a game to you? Casting genjutsu to see if the Byakugan could detect it? Weaving your lies that you think mankind survives off?" Her tone was quieter, but she was still a ruined girl. A broken toy. "I… I wanted someone to see me for who I really was… and to-"

"You wanted support." He didn't move, a stony statue hiding an equally hard heart. "I could not and can not say I wanted the same. Besides, I do not remember. All I want now, more than anything… is probably you, Hinata."

Her heart jumped in her chest- a start of life back to the empty shell. "T-Then why…? Why did you turn away?"

He sighed, the sound reaching her ears, a gentle breath of air. "I'd rather have you broken by myself, than by another because of me." He took a couple of steps towards her- left right left. He reached out, making her look up by hooking his hand under her chin. He traced her face with the other hand; she was unresponding to his touch, too confused and manipulated to know how to react. He swiftly kissed her, slipping his tongue into her mouth, forcing her to return it with some passion. He broke away all too swiftly, for both of them, looking into her eyes.

Three paisleys merged to make a spiked wheel.

"There is no future for us. I'm sorry."

**---**

He had filled the red and black world with memories. Of him and her. Some real, most fabricated. All filled with sweet promises.

He could sense ANBU approaching quickly. They had finally targeted him down. He'd rather avoid the Konoha ninja, not wanting to bother with them. He didn't have many other things to waste his time on, but all the same.

Itachi sifted his fingers through her hair, inhaling her unique, memorable scent before laying her down on the ground gently.

No more.

**---**

"So that's what happened."

"Hai Godaime-sama." Her eyes weren't empty… they could be described as blank, or foggy, the purpose to hide her true feelings and emotions. She would not be broken… not in front of any one else, but _him_.

Her hands were lightly clasped in front of her body- she hadn't been tied up, but she had been removed of all her weapons. She had woken up here, still suffering from the after-effects of the Mangekyou, but had answered all the questions docily when asked. She sat in a chair opposite of the Hokage, deep inside the interrogation chambers. Morino Ibiki stood next to Tsunade, taking note of everything she said inside his head. A circle of ANBU surrounded the three of them, the dim candlelight flickering so that their animal masks held more shadows than usual.

"Alright." The woman rose. "You will stay here for several days." She nodded to the captain at her right- the rest of the ANBU squad appeared at her side. She knew that at least one would guard the doors to her imprisonment.

"Hyuuga Hinata, I'm sentencing you to probation for three months, and day guard duty for four. You will not be allowed to take any long-term missions, or missions that require you to cross the border of Konoha, until I see fit. Is that understood?"

"Hai Godaime-sama."

"Alright. Oh, and you'll be allowed to see your visitors once you get out of here and are checked up in the hospital."

"Hai Godaime-sama." She paused a moment, contemplating whether to speak again. "And thank you." A small smile was given in return before the older woman left with her accompanying ninja, closing the door behind her to leave Hinata to herself.

_Itachi…_

_You were just… too good to be real, I guess._

_But thank you… for your sweet promise._

**-Owari-**

**Finally done… still confusing… but I do like the ending part with the Tsunade and Hinata (probably because that's one of the clearest parts in my story).**

**Give me reviews. Because I'll be annoyed if you don't.**

**And you have no idea how much I've wanted to put that (owari) at the end of my story. It makes me feel so accomplished.**


End file.
